The 31-year-old from the canton of Bern took matters into his own hands to declare himself the king of the country — as well as the “Grandmaster of the Order of Merit, “Admiral of the Empire Fleet and the “Field Marshal of the Empire Legion. While his royal title has no legal standing, the unusual way he amassed his property has sparked debate over the obscure loophole in Swiss property law and prompted authorities to move toward closing it.
A century-old legal loophole
Lauwiner’s journey began innocently enough when his father gifted him a small parcel of farmland for his 20th birthday. Curious about expanding his holdings, he began researching Swiss land registries and discovered that some plots were officially classified as ownerless.
Under Swiss law — Article 658 of the Swiss Civil Code, which dates back to 1907 — certain abandoned or ownerless parcels that have no legal claimant can be transferred to a new owner through a formal registration process. These forgotten plots often include small stretches of road, fragmented pockets of forest, agricultural fields and industrial land that previous owners had abandoned or that heirs had refused to inherit.
So, rather than buying expensive Swiss real estate, Lauwiner meticulously searched public land records, identifying neglected parcels that nobody else had claimed. And, over several years, he legally registered approximately 148 properties across multiple Swiss cantons without ever paying a purchase price. Although many of them are small and relatively low in value, together, they amount to more than 110,000 square meters of land.
An empire in the making
As his collection grew, Lauwiner transformed his “conquest of land” into something far more theatrical. In 2019, he staged an elaborate coronation ceremony in a church in Bern, complete with a crown, robes and royal symbolism. He established what he called the “Lauwiner Empire” and even designed an Order of Merit, a distinction that has already been given to 12 people. He has also established an “Imperial Bank,” introduced ceremonial currency and even put together a “Lauwiner Empire Legion,” his make-pretend military complete with military apparatus and decommissioned military equipment — but “without bloodshed.”
Lauwiner’s growing empire has not been universally welcomed. Some of the land he acquired includes private access roads, allowing him to charge modest maintenance fees or negotiate rights of way with nearby property owners.
“I am fair; I don’t shut the roads, and I do not charge much for them,” Lauwiner told Times Radio, adding that, he also makes money “by selling the right to construct near [his] road and [he sells] the right of passage if there is a new house.”
Still, critics argue that he is exploiting an unintended flaw in Swiss law for personal gain, while supporters view his actions as an ingenious demonstration of how overlooked legal systems can be used creatively.
